South African Boer Goats – Average Weight By Age.

A Note About Goat Feed, Grains, and Supplements.

Body condition score, nutrition and parasites all fit together to make a healthy goat. Grass areas with standing water and manure can be loaded with parasites. They will graze from the top and go down. “It can show you where you need to make changes in your herd. “Body condition score is an important management tool,” said Randy Saner of the University of Nebraska North Platte. Sharing information generates more ideas.”Īfter a feed ration is developed, producers need to pay attention to the body condition score of their goats. Don’t be afraid to share that information with other producers. “Get an analysis on the feed sources available. “Find out what feedstuffs are available cheaply and what protein sources or energy sources are needed to balance the ration,” he says.

It is important for producers to do their research and see what’s available in their area, Boyer said.

We work with ADM Alliance Nutrition and provide a protein tub.” “If the quality is a little low, we just add a protein supplement. “The goats like dry grass in the fall and it extends their grazing season,” he says. Boyer said in his experience storing feed in the field has worked well in his area. Boyer urged goat producers to work with a nutritionist to develop a goat ration that is economically feasible. Goat rations can consist of mixtures of many feed products like corn, hay, barley, dry bean screenings, dried or wet distillers grains, beet tailings, and cornstalks and most other feed sources. There are many different feed sources that can be used for goats. Grazing is a simple way of feeding a goat. If goats receive too much grain, they develop kidney stones and can die. He picks up tomato, grape and soda pop waste and adds it to some grain and straw to make a silage that is fed to the goats.īoyer added that in western Nebraska, producers have access to strong grass and have a cheap feed source for goats.

“They need a unique ration and our feeder happens to be able to make it work because he has a cheap feed source.”īoyer said the California feeder has access to waste from processing plants in California. “It is difficult for most people to make goat feeding pay, because they are not a miniature beef cow even though some people try to make them that way,” he says. They need to travel some after eating.”īoyer said the design of a goat feedlot is important, in addition to the nutrition and vaccination programs. “He has told us you can’t feed a goat and have them lay in the spot they just ate at or they will just die. At that weight, the feeder sends some of the goats directly to slaughter and feeds others in his California feedlot. Boyer said the goat feeder for Mountain States Meat Goat Association has said the perfect goat weighs 74 pounds. Many producers don’t realize that goats don’t need expensive grains to be efficient. They would have to convert all or part of the AUMs to a goat, which they may or may not be willing to do. It is up to the permit holder to approach the BLM or forest service. Meat goat producers can approach BLM permit holders and ask them about grazing meat goats on federal lands. “They have done phenomenal because they don’t have the high feed costs,” he said. Many producers in Wyoming have been successful raising commercial meat goats because they can take advantage of federal grazing land.

Boer goat hay feeder